This blog documents the journey of Marla Crider, a 60 year-old travel professional from Little Rock, Arkansas, as she battles a breast cancer called invasive ductal carcinoma (stage 3). From the moment of her diagnosis, she chronicles her experience. Be forewarned this blog may provide a raw glimpse into the author’s psyche and ability to deal with a life threatening challenge. Hopefully, her honesty and humor will provide advice and help to others who find themselves in a crusade of their own.

Monday, May 27, 2013

Diagnostic Mammogram Versus Dense Breast Tissue

It was Wednesday, May 1, the morning of my scheduled
mammogram. I did all the things I would usually do when getting dressed for
work, except one; I didn’t coat my underarms with deodorant, which made me feel
slightly rebellious.After dozens of
mammograms over the years, I knew that I would be asked to remove my roll-on
deodorant before the technician pulled and positioned my breasts between the compression
arms of the mammogram machine. Not to worry, the breast center always has an
off-brand of spray deodorant available for those, like me, who can’t bear a
whole day without underarm protection.

I arrived for my appointment at 7:30 a.m.Fifteen minutes later, the “mammo” tech
predictably pulled and positioned my breasts in the vice. She took several
images of both breasts to compare with the mammogram from ten months
earlier.The tech then escorted me to a
dark ultrasound room, where I laid horizontally on a gurney next to the
ultrasound machine. She squeezed cold gel on my right breast and proceeded to
slide the magic wand over it for a different view of the tissue. She did the
same on the left breast. The process took about 15 minutes. She then told me
that one of the radiologists would come and review the ultrasound she just
completed.

This example image from a mammogram (not Crider's)
shows an abnormality similar to what was discovered
in her breast. Doctors call it a "markedly hypoechoic
mass" that tends to "spread vertically" and has "fine
irregularities" around the edges of the lump.

A few minutes later, a dark complexioned doctor with a bushy
mustache arrived with the tech. He squeezed more cold gel on my breasts and pulled
out the magic wand again. As he moved the wand strategically over the right
breast, Dr. Mustache directed the tech to freeze the images at certain
magnifications. This went on for almost ten minutes.He finally rubbed the cold gel off my breasts
with a towel and asked me to sit up.That’s
when he said it. “Ms. Crider, you have
two suspicious lumps in your right breast that will require a needle biopsy to
rule out cancer.”

There it was… the “C” word, but it sure as hell didn’t stand
for cyst. I didn’t hear much of what he said after the word cancer left his
lips. My mind was whirling with a million thoughts, almost to the point of
dizziness.Over and over in my head, I
kept saying to myself, “Who, me? Cancer?”

Only 30 seconds or so had passed since he uttered the “C”
word, but it seemed like hours.I knew
that I had to refocus and take control of the situation.I asked Dr. Mustache to not pussy-foot around
and show me what he was seeing on the ultrasound.He pulled the images up on a large screen in
his office. As I sat next to him with
the tech at my side, he showed me a large area that “echoed” and a smaller one
adjoining it. The left breast showed no signs of anything abnormal.Finally, some good news. (The “girl” on the
left always was perkier.) I asked Dr. M to give me his professional opinion.He said it might be invasive lobular cancer,
which is the second most common type with invasive ductal carcinoma being
first.I kept my composure when he said
it appeared to be a fast-growing tumor.And, then he said he was sorry. Me, too, I said to myself.

The tech told me I could get dressed but first asked if I
had any additional questions.Really, I
thought?Only about a thousand of them!
Instead, the tears started flowing.The
tech embraced me - not because it was her job but instinctively because she was
a woman who understood.

After dressing, the tech walked me to the front desk and
told the scheduler that a needle biopsy was necessary. After checking my
records again, the tech determined that since I take Vitamin E and Omega 3 each
day, I would have to wait three days to ensure the supplements were out of my
system. She explained that these particular supplements increase the
possibility of bleeding.

6 comments:

Marla, I do not know you, and I have never been through most of what you are going through. I have dealt with what was called a "wire localization biopsy" of my left breast five years ago though, and remember the fear and anxiety. I just wanted to let you know that I am praying for you! I know I am not alone in those prayers. Much love and hugs, Jan

In order for you to decide if enhancement of the breast is the way to go, it is important to learn as much as you possibly can regarding the different types of enhancements that are offered. This will help you to make a well-informed decision regarding enhancement services.Dr Scamp

About Me

Marla Crider, a 60 year-old travel professional from Little
Rock, Arkansas, is blogging her battle with invasive ductal carcinoma or in layman’s terms –
breast cancer. From the moment she discovers the lurking lump in her right
breast, she apprehensively chronicles her thoughts and emotions for public
scrutiny. Be forewarned that these postings may provide a raw glimpse into the
author’s psyche and ability to deal with a life threatening challenge. Hopefully,
Marla’s honesty, humor, and prose approach of dealing with her diagnosis and
subsequent treatment plan will help others who find themselves in a crusade of
their own. You may follow her journey here: www.MarlaCrider.com . Marla has lived and worked previously in Fayetteville, Arkansas and Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: What is it?

Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) is the most common form of invasive breast cancer. It accounts for 80% of breast cancer incidence upon diagnosis, according to statistics from the U.S. in 2004. On a mammogram, it is usually visualized as a mass with fine spikes radiating from the edges. On physical examination, the lump usually feels much harder or firmer than benign breast lesions such as fibroadenoma. On microscopic examination, the cancerous cells invade and replace the surrounding normal tissues.

Mammograms

Breast tissue is composed of fatty (nondense) tissue and connective (dense) tissue. Radiologists use a grading system to describe the density of breast tissue based on the proportion of fat to connective tissue. There are four levels of density that are detected by mammograms: Level 1 (a very fatty breast), level 2 (fatty tissue makes up more than 50 percent of breast), level 3 (dense tissue makes up more than 50 percent of the breast) and level 4 (a very dense breast with very little fat). Click the image above for more information from the Mayo Clinic.

Get a Breast Cancer Screening

Click map to find a screening site near you.

All original content copyright (c) 2013, Marla F. Crider and marlacrider.com. You are free to share (copy, distribute and transmit) content from this site with attribution to marlacrider.com.